Silent Screams
by The Raccoon Goon
Summary: Things were finally going well for Cliff until one night changed his life forever. Rated T for language and sexual implications


Silent Screams

Everything was starting to go well. But one night, one damn night, had ruined it all.

Cliff's life had changed along with the color of the Mineral Town leaves. He had just gotten a job at Aja Winery and a permanent place of residence. No longer was he lost or confused, and for the first time, he felt like he belonged. Rejoicing in this, him and his friend, Gray, took a trip to the local bar.

Although he wasn't planning on saying it out loud, Gray in himself was a reason to celebrate. Cliff had a tendency to keep to himself, holding everything inside. However, Gray was different. Cliff felt like he could tell the aspiring blacksmith anything. For once in his life, he expressed his feelings. Having such a close friend was a personal victory for Cliff, and he intended to celebrate that.

Both men drank, but Gray had more alcohol than normal. It was certainly noticeable, but Cliff didn't think much about it. "Hey, let's go upstairs," the drunken blonde suggested. "We can look at your room one last time."

It was an odd notion, but the vineyard worker humored his best friend. The two walked up to the suite where Cliff had previously resided. What happened while they were up there was to remain unspoken.

Now the young man stood in the vineyard, silently picking grapes. A cool autumn breeze brushed against his bare neck. He wasn't used to the feeling. _Your hair is so sexy, Cliff, _Gray's voice echoed in his head. After that night, he had cut off his long brown hair, and now it hardly reached chin-level. He couldn't stand seeing his reflection in the mirror after that night, finding new things to be disgusted with. He gradually changed himself inside in out until he realized what he was doing. He was letting Gray control him.

Gray. Every time he heard the name, his blood boiled and he was filled with hate. However, he couldn't let anyone know that. As much as he wanted to say something, he knew he couldn't. Number one, Cliff was completely finished with trusting people. Number two, he had just began to fit in around Mineral Town. He couldn't imagine the townsfolk being able to accept what happened, especially since it happened between two men…

But Cliff wasn't gay. At least, he didn't think he was. One of his biggest internal struggles was his feelings for his former friend. He wasn't ready to take the next step yet or if he ever would be, so he said no. In fact, he repeatedly pleaded for Gray to stop, but he simply wouldn't listen. Maybe it was the beer going to his head, but that's not an excuse.

Cliff's thoughts were interrupted by Duke, who apparently had crept up behind his employee without him noticing. "Great job," he commented. "Why don't you go inside and work the counter for a while?" Cliff nodded and went inside, a tacit agreement.

Manna, Duke's chatterbox of a wife, tried her best to make conversation with the young man, but her efforts were futile. There was nothing she could do to engage Cliff in any sort of conversation. Nobody could.

Nobody, that is, except for the customer who happened to enter the winery at that particular moment. The patron approached the counter. "Hey, Cliff," Gray greeted the shop worker. "I haven't seen you around in a while."

Cliff did everything he could to refrain from punching the man in the face. That would rid him of his nasty smirk. "No shit you haven't seen me around," he retorted. "I've been trying to be as far away from you as possible, you bastard."

Of course, Cliff only said that in his head. Especially with Manna around, there was only impending shame to be gained from saying anything to his ex-confidant.

"How may I help you?" Cliff responded emotionlessly.

Gray placed his elbows on the smooth surface of the counter and inquired, "What's the best wine you have here?"

The brunette turned to his boss' spouse for assistance, but all she did was nod. Perhaps she was just surprised that Cliff was actually speaking. Defeated, he placed a bottle on the counter. "I'm quite fond of this one," he remarked, despite the fact he had never tasted the wine before.

The customer examined the wine for a moment, evaluating its quality, before requesting, "I'll take five of these."

_Alcoholic son of a bitch._ "I'll go get some of those from the cellar," Cliff stated, eager to get away from the situation, if only for a moment. Within a minute, he returned with four more bottles. "That'll be 1500 G."

The two men exchanged wine and money. After a painful "have a nice day," Cliff's now enemy finally exited. At this point, it was pretty late, so the short-haired man called it a night. He wordlessly headed up to his room, enraged at the polite conversation he just had with the man who ruined his life. There was nothing he could do about it. There was never anything he could do but lie awake in bed, terrified of what would happen if he slept, and let out silent screams.


End file.
